# What is a blog vs. a message board? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-blog-vs-a-message-board/460567 "2008-08-19T16:45:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-blog-vs-a-message-board/460567/1 "2008-08-19T16:45:04Z")
I’ve seen things like the Obama blog or comments areas for various sites, and they mostly look like this one, only not as well spelled or moderated. (Yes, I’m a suck-up). Now, I thought blog was short for Web Log, so someone keeps a diary or “Log” on a website, and then I guess other people comment on it. Here, anyone can start a discussion on anything. Is that the only difference - that we (the SDMB) are an infinite number of blogs? Because it occurred to me that I would have no idea how to answer if someone were to ask me if I blogged or not. Thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-blog-vs-a-message-board/460567/2 "2008-08-19T16:59:09Z")
> **[Blog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)** > > A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is an informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page. Until 2009, blogs were usually the work of a single individual,\[citation needed\] occasionally of a small group, and often covered a single subject or topic. In the 2010s, "multi-author blogs" (MABs)... > **[Internet forum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Message_board)** > > An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporarily archived. Also, depending on the access level of a user or the forum set-up, a posted message might need to be approved by a moderator before it becomes publicly visible. > Forums have a specific set of jargon associated with them; for example, a singl... Works for me. My interpretation is a blog is a public diary, where the owner may or may not allow others to comment on their posts. OTOH, a message board is akin to a bar/restaurant where folks come together and share what’s on their minds. The bar/restaurant owner plays no role in directing the conversations per se, but may contribute as any customer. The owner tries to maintain a level of decorum (moderating) and may charge for the cost of drinks and munchies. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-blog-vs-a-message-board/460567/3 "2008-08-19T17:35:06Z")
Thanks. For some reason, it never occurred to me that those terms would be on Wiki. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![zeno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zeno/32/15040_2.png) [@zeno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeno)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-blog-vs-a-message-board/460567/4 "2008-08-21T00:44:13Z")
There are also ‘community blogs’ like metafilter and reddit, which are for sharing links, and have comments on the links. ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-blog-vs-a-message-board/460567/5 "2008-08-21T01:27:33Z")
Thanks!